photo by ozguru

What is living a simple life? Is it freeing yourself from material things and wants? Or is it not adhering to social conventions? I don’t know about you, but I constantly struggle to live the so called the simple life. Maybe it’s my concept of what a simple life is that is the problem and not my efforts.

I admire people who have gained much knowledge, indulged on what modern life has to offer and then suddenly turn everything off and decide to live a life of simplicity. I, on the other hand, can never free myself from the trappings of the modern world and social conventions. Even if I didn’t have any children, I will still probably find some way to complicate my life.

This realization came to me during my recent two week hiatus in the Philippines. During this two weeks, I did a lot of traveling and talking to people. I’ve spoken to some Filipinos who live the very essence of simplicity. They grow their own food, build their own shelter, and perform simple commerce so that they can have some money to buy the things that they cannot make themselves.

While they seem content with their lives, they are also under-educated about the complicated world that they live in and because of this, they too are ignorant of the complex political and economic systems that run their towns, their schools, their electricity, and their running water. Sadly, because of their ignorance, they are often taken advantaged of or neglected by their scrupulous politicians and community leaders.

There are also some Filipinos who live a very simple life but not because they choose to do so, but because of poverty. Most of these hardworking people know about the modern life and understand the complexity and the dynamics of their society and the world. Interestingly, these same people are mostly aspiring to live a more complicated modern life where they can have a 9-5 job, have car payments, and 30 year mortgage. The majority of these people are miserable and they feel that the acquisition of money and status will free themselves for their misery.

I’m fortunate that I’m in a situation which is better than what I’ve described above. My life is far from being simple, in fact it is very complicated.

I have a huge family, debts, goals, dreams, family issues, students who I want to help, and so on and so forth. Am I miserable? NO! I can honestly say that in general I’m happy. I’m not happy everyday but in the whole scheme of things, I am happy with my complicated life.

Can I uncomplicate my life? I don’t think it’s possible. Since I have learned so much and continue to learn more about life, people, and the world, I have no chance in hell in living “a simple life.” Our complex world with it’s complex rules and conventions will not allow me to live simply. If I wish to continue to grow emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually, I have to continue to be engaged in our ever changing global community. Of course I can choose to live as a hermit for a year or two. But eventually, the world will suck me back in the fray. This is what I do. Through complex engagements, I evolve and as I evolve, everything around me becomes complicated.

By now you’ve probably figured out that when I speak of simplicity and complexity, I’m referring to something deeper than just materialism and superficial relationships. To really go the route of pure simplicity, you must strip your self from human relationships and interactions because emotional involvement is by nature complex.

You can certainly simplify the material aspects of your life but your relationships will continue to be complex no matter what you do. So instead of resisting, embrace it and find a way how to improve it. If you need a role model on how to do this, you can look to Mother Theresa as an example. She was the epitome of material simplicity but socially, emotionally, and intellectually, she lived a very complex life.

So I guess the questions is whether “A Simple Life” can only refer to the material aspects of our lives or can it be applied to our relationships? Wat Do You Say?

Be Immortalized For Only $10

The first phase of starting a school in the Philippines is done. I met with the Department of Education and we discussed the neccessary requirements for licensing. I spoke with the building architect and engineer and we finalized the blueprint. I hired a project manager to oversee the building construction and the school licensing process. These were the easy part. Now, the most difficult part commences.

Phase two of the project is securing the funding. Yes, when it comes down to it, it’s all about the money. You may have all the ideas, talent, and passion but if you don’t have the almighty dollar, you’re Dead On Arrival. Luckily I have some ideas on how to finance this project.

The first one is to secure a loan from a lending institution. If you ever tried getting a bank loan for anything, you know that it is easier said done. The second one is to use the building as a collateral for a loan (this might be the easiest route as a funding source but I’m weary of mortgaging the building). Third idea is to use my family as a funding source, like my sisters, parents, and in-laws. This will take some begging but it might work, after all when the school takes off, the family name will be at the forefront.

My fourth idea is actually an exciting and fun way of raising money. I will engrave anybody’s name or company name on the front wall of the school for a $10 donation. I figure if all of my regular readers (commentors and lurkers alike) and the occassional readers donate the $10 amount, I will be able to raise about 10% of the money I need to renovate the building and to purchase materials such as computers, desks, and so on and so forth.

Factoring in construction, supplies, staff salary, and miscellaneous expenses, I will need approximately $100 thousand for the first year. This is quite a sum but I know it’s attainable. All I have to do is employ all the ideas that I listed.

Of course the best part of all of the fundraising phase is the part where you, my loyal, awesome, wonderful readers (I’m not trying to brown nose here, I truly mean it) get to play a part. Just imagine. You will be immortalized! And obviously, if you visit the school, you will be treated like royalty. Isn’t this cool? Ten dollars will give you fame and notoriety. I bet if you walk around your house and look for loose change under your sofa cussion or your bed, you will find $10 worth of change.

So take the plunge and donate. I’m happy to say that David from Life of (f)utility: Hacking the Human Race has already donated $20 to my project. Will you be the next one?

Please send your $10 through Paypal using the following e-mail accounts: cj090904@yahoo.com or chris@watdawat.com ( my donate button on the My Project page is having issues right now this is why I gave my two e-mail addresses).

I’m not good at asking people for money but I’m appealing to you because I know that this is worth doing. I know that this endeavor will require everybody’s help. If you feel like you can only comfortably give less than the $10 amount, then by all means do so. Any amount you send will help.

If you have any questions and suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment or you can e-mail me.

Thank you for your support.

I’m back in my own domain. No matter how productive and relaxing a trip is, it is still good to be home. It’s also good that I’m the only one back, the rest of the tribe are still back in the Philippines. At least for two more weeks I won’t have to fight anyone for the remote control, beat someone to the shower, and clean after somebody’s mess. But, as always, this euphoric feeling of independence will only last for a week. After seven days, I will for sure be missing all of them like crazy.

So during me two weeks in the Philippines I got some work and relaxation done. I was able to finish phase one of my “school project” which I will discuss in my next post and more importantly, I ate well.

This “I’m Back” post doesn’t really have a unified theme except to give you some odds and ends of my tropical adventure. Here it goes:

1.       I still can’t get over the Manila traffic. You think New York rush hour traffic is bad, increase it exponentially and you’ll get a sense of the Manila traffic.

2.       One rainy night, when we had a 10 hour road trip, our car broke down. It was around 8 p.m. We stopped at a closed car shop. Needless to say, I was dejected. My mother-in-law said not to worry because she said that if we knock, someone will open the door and they will fix the car. Sure enough, after 5 seconds of pounding the gate, someone came to the door, let us in and the mechanics began working on our car. I was shocked! I whispered to the driver that back in the States, Jiffy Lube would have never opened its door for weary travelers with broken cars.

3.       I visited some schools and I still can’t believe how crowded the classrooms are for both public and private schools. In public schools, the average class size is over 50 students and private schools average over 40 students.

4.       We went to a resort with the extended family and it was a blast. While we were there , during the afternoon, there was a swimsuit pictorial for a beauty contest. Beauty contests are big in the Philippines, aside from basketball, beauty contests are national pastime.

5.      Once again I’m in the wrong business. I realized that instead of opening schools, I should be opening churches or starting my own religious cult. Man talk about big money making business. These religious sects (Christians) are making out like bank robbers. What’s worse is that their leaders openly flaunt their wealth and political power (courtesy of their followers). I guess they’re just continuing the grand tradition that the Catholic Chruch started some 500 years ago. I wonder what Jesus would say if he finds out that his name is being used to take money from church members who the majority are dirt poor.

6.   I need to remind myself that the next time I go to the Philippines that I have to condition my body into my college drinking days. Needless to say, when I went drinking with my male in-laws, I pretty got my ass kicked. Hey but at least I redeemed myself when we had diet coke drinking contest.

7.  One of the best things about the Philippines is the cheap medical and dental costs without sacrificing quality. I got my teeth cleaned, fixed a chipped tooth, and filled a cavity. My wife got the same treatment and more and it only costs me $300. Now if we were to get the same procedure here in the States, then I would have spent over $1000 if not more. This makes me hate insurance companies more for driving up the medical and dental costs.

8.  Did I say I ate well? Yes, I did. And the best food came from street vendors and little canteens and not from the fancy schmancy restaurants. The best way to really immerse your self into a different culture is by experiencing and appreciating the local cuisine. The best part of all the eating experience is the freshness of the vegetables, meat, fish, and fruits. So it’s safe to say that I’ve put a few inches on my waist line.

This is pretty much it. My next posts will mostly related to my Philippine trip, so for those people who stuck around, thank you.

Photo by moonbattery

Warning: Some materials here may not be suitable for your senses. Please read with caution.
Growing up in the United States after taking a shit, I wiped my ass, like everyone else, with a toilet paper, preferably 3-ply. This all changed when I met my wife and she showed me the true and refreshing way of ass cleansing.

She told me that her way is the “Filipino” way of butt maintenance. Instead of using toilet paper to remove the excess feces from your arse, use water and soap. This will ensure complete cleansing thus eliminating the possibility of shit tracks on your undies.

Of course, as always, she was right! After my first washing experience, I really felt clean and refreshed. From then on, there was no going back. I bid farewell to Charmine and Angel Soft and with an open palm, I welcomed good ole’ H2O.

The first time I did it was quite strange and somewhat disgusting. It was weird feeling your own bum hole with your fingers as you wash. But this grossed out feeling quickly dissipated when I experienced that fresh from the shower feeling.

Since this great revelation occurred, I’d endeavored to discover how other cultures cleaned after doing “the number 2.” To my surprise, other cultures also used water regularly. Japanese and Turkish people are also ass washer and not ass wipers. In fact, their toilet bowls are outfitted with water sprays that will automatically wash you when you’re finished. So there’s no need to use your hands. The water pressure from the spray does all the job.

I know that some of you ass wipers are already thinking that this ass washing thing will not work if you are in a public bathroom. I beg to differ. When there’s a will to shit, there’s water to wash it. All you have to do is that before you do your business, you just have to make sure that you bring a water bottle with you so that you can fill it up before you go to your porcelain throne. Using baby wipes will also do the trick.

One thing that I don’t get though is that why didn’t my parents teach me this method when I was growing up. I’m sure they knew about it since they’re 100% Filipinos. I’m sure that they too are ass washers and not ass wipers. I guess they really wanted me to be an American, in every sense of the word.

Now, you might be wondering what prompted this useful post. If you regularly visit my blog, you would know that I’m in the Philippines right now. And since I’m here, I find it convenient to take a dump. Wherever you go in this country, the toilets will either have a water spray, or a pail of water with a 20 ounce cup to use for ass cleaning.

And since my children are also ass washers, they too feel the same way. My ass washing kids conditioned themselves to use the toilet in the morning before they leave for school or in the afternoon when they arrive from school. They don’t like using the toilets at school because American schools are not ass washer friendly. In fact, American schools are unequivocally ass wiper only schools. But that is not the issue here. The issue is whether you should become an ass washer or whether you should remain as an ass wiper.

If you still having difficulty deciding, then all I ask of you is to give it a try for a couple of days and you will feel a huge difference as soon as you go back to your ass wiping self. In addition, you will also save your ass from getting sore by wiping too much or too hard and you will definitely save some poor trees from being turned into ass wipes.

The choice is yours but NOW is the time for CHANGE. Do not be shackled with the old ways of ass cleaning.

To borrow a phrase from Senator Obama’s campaign, “Si, Se Puede.”

Photo by mlhanas
I had mentioned before on my previous post that at work I’m an expert at telling positive lies in place of negative truths. As an school administrator, I not only have to nurture our students’ feelings, but I have to do it for their parents as well.

When speaking to a parent about his or her child, one has to be aware that even if a parent is listening to a teacher’s comments objectively, the negative statements about his/her child doesn’t hurt any less. I know I’m good at what I do because I can empathize with every single parent. Like any other parent, my children, while they are definitely my source of inspiration and strength, they are also my Achilles Heel.

Any negative statements regarding my children, true or not, is like a dull knife piercing through my heart. Such was the case when one of my dearest and respected relatives spoke unfavorably about my children. While what she said was true and without malice, contextually it was hurtful.

And because I was hurt, I modified our entire vacation itinerary. Did I overreact? Probably? Was I too sensitive? With out a doubt! But my feelings were definitely valid and justified.Will I remain hurt and upset? Most definitely not. Life is too short to wallow in negative thoughts.

So imagine me, a person who is suppose to be professional, objective, and usually takes everything with a grain of salt, reacting the way I did. Now replace me with one of the many parents from any schools.

Yes, I believe in telling the truth! But I also believe in bending the truth to achieve a bigger and better outcome. When it comes to talking to parents about their children’s academic, social, and emotional progress or lack thereof, one must thread lightly and cautiously. If one sets out to tell the unadulterated truth to parents, one must be ready to face the repercussion, which is usually a hurt and a defensive parent. Besides, the truth is easy to swallow if it’s accompanied with sensitivity and care.

Most expert opinions and analysis are well intentioned. Most comments from caring relatives and family members are also well intentioned and without malice. But because we all have our emotional sore spots, all our comments need to be qualified so that our mouths don’t intentionally shoot arrows to our Achilles Heels of Emotions.